Helen Jean Fricke passed peacefully Monday, May 4th 2015 after a week of tender, comforting care received from the Rapid City Regional staff. Jean was born June 4, 1925 in McMinnville, Oregon to Tracey Basler and Della Thomas Newman. She graduated from Salem schools with honors and attended Willamette University in Salem. She completed her education at the University of Wisconsin in Madison where she majored in Art and was a member of the Pi Beta Phi sorority. After college she married her sweetheart, Henry C. Fricke. They moved to Alliance, Nebraska where her husband was in the construction business. In Alliance she was a charter member and first President of Chapter GC P.E.O. and organizer of the Box Butte County Art Society. She served as President of the Alliance Campfire Council and was awarded for twenty years of leadership for this girl's organization. The family moved to Rapid City in 1968. Jean immediately volunteered for the Dakota Artists Guild and Gallery and was named curator a year later. During her tenure she served as President, Board Member, Executive Director as well as long time curator. She booked monthly art shows and discovered and promoted many artists. She was Secretary of the Dahl Foundation Board and after her retirement was Secretary of the Rapid City Art's Council and Chairman of the Acquisition Committee. In 1997 she was awarded the Rushmore Honors award for the Arts by Rapid City and South Dakota. Jean was a member of Chapter CD P.E.O. in Rapid City and the Alliance Point of Rock Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. She was a member of the South Dakota Chapter of the Mayflower Society through her direct descent from Pilgrims, Elder William Brewster, Richard Warren and William White. She loved her friends, family, bridge and reading and will be forever remembered for her optimistic, outgoing personality and sense of humor. Jean started and ended every day with a smile and lived her life to the fullest. Grateful to have shared her life are her four children: H. Craig Fricke of Rapid City, Tracy (Rick) Hemminger of Alliance, NE, Dot (Gary) Rasmusson of Rapid City, John Fricke, Steamboat Springs, CO; Five grandchildren: Jason (Becky) Minnick of West Point, NE, Jeff Minnick (Kathy Lees) of Rapid City; Tara (Jay) Herian of Alliance, NE, Erica (Jacob) Collins of Anchorage, AK, Kyle Rasmusson of Denver, CO; Nine great-grandchildren and her loving extended family at Primrose Retirement Community. Her cousins Mary Thomas Lam and Dr. Dennison Thomas of OR and WA also survive her. Her parents, husband and dear beloved friend preceded Jean in death. Services will be at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday May 7th at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home with Pastor Bruce Herrboldt officiating. Interment will be at Pine Lawn Memorial Park, followed by a celebration of life and recognition of Jean's upcoming 90th birthday at the Elks Club. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be gifted to the continuing Jean Fricke Scholarship Fund for the benefit of students who will study art in college. Memorials may be mailed to the Dakota Artists Guild, 1417 5th Street, Rapid City, SD 57701.